


Javic

by celedan



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Anal Sex, Cardiff Winter Wonderland, First Kiss, First Time, Happy Ending, Jack gets turned into a child, M/M, Oral Sex, slight Gwen Bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 06:58:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13141449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celedan/pseuds/celedan
Summary: The team encounters a small child in an abandoned warehouse. They realise very quickly that in reality, little Javic is their fearful leader who got turned back into a child by some alien device. While Javic immediately gets attached to Ianto, the team must find a way to turn Jack back into his adult self.





	Javic

**Author's Note:**

> This story came about because of the radio drama "Month 25" from the "The Lives of Captain Jack" box were apparently, Jack's name while working for the Time Agency is Javic. To be truthful, I haven't listened to it yet, so I'm operating here under the impression that Jack's real name is indeed Javic, but maybe it will turn out that it isn't his name, don't know. For my story, his real name is Javic though.

“Jack!” Gwen cried exasperated into her comms. “Don't go in there alone, you hear me!”

She huffed indignantly  when Jack only answered with a dismissive “yeah, yeah”.

Brooding silence settled over the occupants of the SUV for a moment.

“Why can't he wait for us!?” Gwen then burst out irritated. “It makes me crazy. If it was one of us going in there alone, he'd have our heads.”

“Maybe because we do this thing called dying,” Ianto snorted sarcastically, “and staying dead.”

Gwen snorted as well, but under all of their  cynism , they knew very well that losing someone – again – was one of Jack's deepest fears, so they all decided to let it slide in their Captain's case. He was old enough to know if he wanted to take the risk (and if it was him or his team, Jack would always decide to take the risk himself than let one of his friends endanger themselves).

Jack had already been in the area when Tosh had called him because of some suspicious Rift data. When more and more spikes had appeared inside the warehouse in question, the team decided to hurry there as well. They would be there in a few minutes, so maybe until then, Jack had some viable results for them.

But when they exited the SUV in front of the warehouse a few minutes later, and they tried to reach Jack over his comms, they were met with foreboding silence.

Vigilant, they entered the abandoned warehouse, their weapons drawn. On a sign of Owen, they split up. Owen and Gwen crept to the upper-levels silently while Tosh and Ianto investigated the ground floor.

“I register signs of life,” Tosh informed Ianto in a whisper, knowing that the others had heard as well over their comms. She pointed to a dark area of the back parts of the building. “Over there.”

“Is it Jack?” Gwen asked over the comms, beating Ianto to it.

“The readings are strange,” Tosh murmured. “I can't say for sure. Stay on alert.”

Doing just that, the two made their way over to some mouldy crates that were strewn  randomly in that area. 

Rounding a stack of crates and boxes, Ianto sucked in a breath when he spotted a small form huddled there. Still staying cautious, he put his gun away, and gingerly crept closer to the naked little boy that cowered on the cold floor, pressing himself into a narrow gap between the wall and the crates for protection.

“Hey there,” Ianto said softly, crouching down in front of the boy a few feet away.

The child startled, and looked up frightened. Large blue eyes stared back at Ianto out of a tear streaked face. The boy was maybe five or six years old.

“It's all right,” Ianto tried to soothe the frightened child, holding his hands out in front of himself disarmingly. 

He heard a surprised gasp behind him when Tosh reached him, and spotted the child as well.

“There's Rift particles clinging to him,” she cautioned, tapping away on her scanner. “If he came through the Rift from who knows where, maybe he can't even understand us.” 

Ianto searched the boy's gaze questioningly. “Do you understand me?”

A hesitant, curt nod was the answer.

He smiled at the boy. “Okay, great. I'm Ianto, and that is Toshiko.”

Tosh waved at the little boy who smiled back at her tentatively.

“Can you tell me your name?” Ianto coaxed friendly.

The boy gnawed on his lower lip for a moment, contemplating, but then he looked Ianto bravely in the eye.

“Javic,” he said in a strange, broadaccent that was familiar somehow.

“Hello Javic. Do you know where you are?”

Javic shook his head.

“You're on Earth,” Ianto explained. “Can you remember how you got here?”

“No,” Javic answered, and shook his head rigorously. “I just waked up in here. Up there.” He pointed to the upper levels of the warehouse.

“Hm, all right. I promise that we'll figure this out. Do you remember where you come from? Where is your home?”

A shake of the head was the disheartening answer, but Ianto smiled reassuringly at Javic. “It's all right. We'll figure this out as well. But now come on, you can't stay there on the cold floor.”

Javic looked at them, contemplating again, and Ianto threw Tosh a helpless look. But she seemed equally as clueless, and he figured that maybe she thought he was more qualified to deal with the child since he was actually an uncle (not that that really qualified, he snorted inwardly). He turned back to Javic who still cowered on the cold concrete floor.

The boy frowned. “Where should I go?”

“You can come with us of course,” Ianto hastily reassured because it broke his heart hearing the lost, hopeless tone in Javic's voice.

But he still didn't seem convinced. “What if someone comes for me, but I'm not here?”

“You see this?” Tosh threw in with a friendly smile while holding up her scanner. “We can put this whole area under surveillance. Our scanners will tell us if somebody comes here looking for you.” Wether it be with good or evil intentions, she added in her mind since they didn't know who Javic was. Maybe him coming here was an accident, but maybe he was send here on purpose...

Slowly, the boy nodded, still frowning while thinking hard. But then suddenly, he clambered to his feet, and swiftly crossed the distance between him and Ianto, throwing himself into the surprised Welshman's arms.

Gob-smacked, Ianto blinked up to Tosh helplessly while hesitantly putting his arms around the boy who clung tightly to him. But Tosh only shrugged, and looked as if she had to suppress a chuckle. Huffing in exasperation at her, Ianto carefully pushed Javic away. “Here,” he said when the boy looked questioningly at him and even a little alarmed when Ianto pushed him away. But Ianto only slipped out of his coat, and draped it around Javic, helping him putting his small arms through the sleeves. “Now that's better, hm? It's quite cold outside.”

Javic nodded, and buried himself deeper into the black coat. Ianto nodded briskly, and stood up, picking Javic up in the process. Immediately, the boy wrapped his thin arms tightly around his neck once more. Quite amused, but somehow a little moved by this much trust, Ianto resigned himself to his fate of being appointed caretaker of their small guest for the time being. But now it was time to find the others again. Their keeping silent couldn't mean anything good in regards to finding Jack.

He practically felt the boy getting heavier and heavier in his arms when he gradually succumbed to sleep. Must have been a little too much after all. Javic sniffled against Ianto's neck, burying his face deeper in the coat's lapels as well as the crook of Ianto's shoulder.

“You smell good,” he mumbled sleepily which earned him an amused chuckle from Ianto. But at Javic's next words, the smile on his face froze. “The coat 's nice, too. Not so nice like the one upstairs, but still nice.”

Ianto barely dared to breath as a horrible inkling gripped his whole body, practically paralysing him. “There's a coat upstairs?” he asked carefully.

Javic made a confirming noise. “Waked up in it.”

Ianto held in the curse that wanted to pass his lips at the last second, instead he exchanged worried looks with Tosh who'd heard Javic's words as well.

At that moment, Gwen and Owen joined them again, and indeed, Gwen carried a bundle in her arms unmistakably made from Jack's coat which probably contained the rest of his clothes.

“Guys! We found Jack's...” Gwen trailed off when she spotted the sleepy child in Ianto's arms. Her eyes became as wide as saucers when she made the connection, and she looked questioningly from Ianto to Tosh. The latter only shrugged.

Gwen pursed her lips, and blinked some more in shock while Owen just breathed a hearty “Oh fuck!”

“Owen!” Ianto hissed in admonishment, glaring at the medic, barely refraining from covering Jack's ears. “Don't you think he knows enough swear words as it is?!”

Owen shrugged indifferently. “He knows that already.”

Ianto glared harder. “Now he does.”

“At least now we know that we don't have to look for some frantic parents searching for their child,” Tosh threw in, and to say the truth, she was really quite glad about that. An interplanetary incident because of the boy was the last thing they needed.

“Yeah, but we still don't know what de-aged him,” Owen countered. 

Tosh shrugged again. “We'll find out.”

“Yeah, but first we have to take the poor thing somewhere safe and warm,” Gwen threw in resolutely, and held out her arms to Ianto. “Give him to me. I'll take him back to the Hub while you look for whatever or whomever changed him.”

Bristling, Ianto held Jack more tightly, and he had to resist the urge to turn him away from Gwen. Smugly, he felt obviously still not asleep boy tighten his hold on Ianto as well in obvious uneasiness. “He stays with me,” he answered calmly, and even managed to sound reasonable through clenched teeth. “He doesn't know you, you'll only scare him.”

Hearing this, it was Gwen who now bristled at this assumption.

But Ianto didn't let himself be fazed by her wounded pride. “I'll take him back to the Hub. You and Tosh should stay here to look for the source of this mess. Owen, you come back with me. You have to do some tests on him.”

Owen's hackles rose, and he started to protest on principle. “Who made you the boss, Tea Boy?!”

Ianto glared unfazed at him. “Fucking the boss must have its perks as you regularly accuse me off. So now take his clothes, and move your ass back to the car.”

And with that, Ianto marched out of the warehouse, not really caring if Owen was following or not. His main priority at the moment was Jack's well-being.

Owen followed him though after snatching the bundle of clothes from an affronted Gwen, even if he was grumbling under his breath. But since Ianto's orders made the most sense, he had nothing to argue against them, and if he had to be truthful, he was concerned for Jack as well.

 

They got back to the Hub without Jack waking up who'd finally succumbed to sleep, and they agreed that it would maybe less stressful for the child if Owen made as many tests as he could while he was still asleep. Feeling reluctance welling up inside himself as he had to leave Jack with Owen in the autopsy bay, Ianto took care of the bundle of clothes, unwrapping them, and carefully hanging up the coat while he put the rest aside for washing. The last item that remained was Jack's vortex manipulator. Holding it reverently in both hands, Ianto stared down at the device in indecision. Should he lock it away in Jack's private vault? But somehow, he got the feeling that it wasn't enough. It was kinda stupid, but he wanted to keep Jack's most precious possession safe personally. Coming to a decision, Ianto put the vortex manipulator around his own wrist. Rationally, he knew that it would be much safer in the vault, but he needed to feel it close. As if he wanted to keep all of Jack close to himself, hence his reluctance to let the little boy out of his sight.

The leather felt unfamiliar around his wrist, but its smooth texture warmed up quickly against his skin, and felt quite nice. He'd never held the device before, Jack didn't even take it off in the shower. So to be wearing it now almost felt like a violation, but at the same time, it made him feel so unbelievably close to Jack, making him feel a privileged connection between them that wasn't really there, and maybe never would be.

He startled out of his musings, catching himself at gently caressing the smooth leather, when Owen's voice suddenly sounded in his ear over his comms. He briskly left Jack's office, and joined Owen in the autopsy bay. Jack was still asleep, but already steering slightly.

“Thought it would be better if you were with him when he wakes up,” Owen explained dismissively.

Ianto had to suppress a chuckle at this much tactful consideration. “Did you find something out of the ordinary?” he asked instead to spare them both the embarrassment of an emotional scene.

“No. Absolutely nothing.” Owen looked pointedly at him, but Ianto couldn't interpret the meaning of this look.

“He's... clean so to speak,” Owen continued. “No residue vortex energy. Nothing.”

Ianto's eyes widened in shock. “You mean... he's mortal.”

“In all likeliness, yes.” Owen crossed his arms before his chest, and frowned down onto the restless form of the sleeping child. 

“What if we can't reverse this process,” Ianto mumbled, more thinking out loud than talking to Owen. “What if he has to live his life again, growing up at a normal pace? He'll never become immortal.”

“Or he will automatically be turned back immortal once he reaches the right age,” Owen huffed. “Didn't he tell us once that he's a fixed point in time?”

Ianto nodded tentatively.

“There you have it. That means he has to become one again. Time will find a way.”

“Yeah,” Ianto mumbled, “you're probably right.”

“Of course I am. And now take him out of here and into his bed. I've got other work to do. Besides, the others will surely be back soon, hopefully with good news.”

Taciturn, Ianto nodded, ignoring Owen's brisk dismissal, and instead scooped Jack back up into his arms who had been wrapped into a blanket by Owen. Absent-mindedly, he noticed that the boy immediately calmed down once he was in Ianto's arms.

He brought him down into Jack's bunk, and put him to bed, remaining seated next to him undecided. He didn't want to leave him alone, not wanting to risk him waking up to a strange environment completely alone. But on the other hand, he had work to do as well. They all had to work together if they wanted to find a way to reserve the transformation.

But while he still pondered his dilemma, Jack made a noise, drawing Ianto's attention on him again. The child blinked sleepily at him.

“Hey,” Ianto smiled at him.

A surprisingly shy smile peeked at him from under the blanket. “Hi.” With uncoordinated movements still sluggish from sleep, Jack sat up, and rubbed his eyes which Ianto found absolutely adorable somehow. Then little Jack looked around curiously. “Where am I?”

And so it began. What should Ianto tell him? The truth? A censored version of it because surely the kid would have more and more questions, and Ianto wasn't so sure if the course of Jack's long and tragic (not to forget rakish) life was something a child would understand. Frankly, Ianto couldn't grasp half of it himself often enough...

“This is your room,” Ianto began carefully.

Jack frowned. “My room?”

“Yes.” Ianto had to suppress a heavy sigh. This was more difficult than he'd thought. “See, you're not really a child.”

Frowning even harder, Jack looked down at his body. “Sure I am.”

“No, no,” Ianto laughed helplessly. “Something happened to you that transformed you into a child again.”

Jack scrunched up his nose while pondering this information quite hard. “Sooo. Does that mean I'm grown up in realty?”

“Exactly.”

A sudden gleam lightened up Jack's small face. “Does that mean we know each other?! I'm not completly alone?”

Ianto cringed, and a sharp pain stabbed through his heart at hearing this. Impulsively, he put his hand over Jack's much smaller one which was clutching the blanket anxiously. “You're not alone. We are your friends.”

“You too?”

Ianto practically melted faced with the big blue eyes full of eager hope and trust staring up at him. Obviously, even as a child, Jack had the ability to charm everyone he met (and no, he'd rather not think of Jack's seemingly profound fears of being left behind; the thought was much too heartbreaking, and, to be truthful, Ianto had instinctively known of Jack's fears for a long time already). “We're very good friends,” he assured him, thinking it unimportant at the moment to inform the boy of how good friends they really were. No need to upset the little one though Ianto had the nagging feeling that Jack wouldn't be overly disturbed.

Suddenly scrambling forwards, Jack threw himself into Ianto's arms again with a squeal of delight. Surprised, Ianto embraced him tightly, once more realising how attached he'd already become to little Jack (well, nothing different from when Jack was an adult then).

Now that Jack knew the truth, taking it unexpectedly well, Ianto was faced with another problem: Jack's name. Sure, he could tell him that he called himself Jack nowadays, but with that, Ianto risked once again too many questions coming from the boy. But on the other side, he didn't want the others to learn Jack's true name. Tosh had already heard, as well as Ianto himself, but Gwen and Owen didn't need to know, too. Surely, Jack wouldn't approve of that.

Maybe...

His comms beeped, announcing the girl's return, and so, there wasn't any time for Ianto to contemplate his dilemma further. He smiled at the boy. “I'll be back in a while, okay.”

Jack frowned unhappily.

“Really, I won't be long. I'll bring you something to eat when I return.”

This brightened the boy up somewhat, and he nodded eagerly.

Ianto smiled at him, and nodded when he stood up. But before he could remove himself from the vicinity of the bed, Jack grabbed his hand one last time, looking up at him with big eyes. “You be fast, yeah?”

“Of course.”

“Why can't I come with you?”

“Because it's very dangerous where I work.”

“I'm not afraid!” Jack puffed out his skinny chest so that Ianto had to laugh.

“I know that, but nonetheless, I can't take you with me. We have to find a way to turn you into an adult again, so I can't look after you while doing it.” Ianto stood up, and rummaged around in Jack's closet, pulling out one of Jack's simple white T-Shirts which he held out to Jack.

“'m not a baby,” Jack pouted while pulling the oversized shirt over his head. “I don't need looking after.”

Ianto only laughed good-naturedly at him, ruffling Jack's hair affectionately that had become quite messy, and then climbed the ladder up to Jack's office.

 

He found the others in the conference room, looking intently at a small device they'd put onto the table before them.

“Did you find it?” Ianto asked curiously.

“Yeah, looks like it,” Tosh answered. “At least we hope that's the device that turned Jack into a child.”

“How is he?” Gwen asked concerned.

“He's fine. Just woke up. When we're done here, I'll bring him something to eat... and some clothes that will fit him I suppose.”

Owen snorted. “That's his chance of running around naked legally all day.”

The others snorted as well. 

“Still, we should put a stop to bad habits before they become ingrained,” Gwen chuckled, and for a moment, a frisson of alarm went through Ianto when he thought of the possibility of losing his naked hide-and-seek partner to modesty. But no. Nothing would ever change Jack in that profound aspect of his personality he supposed, not even Gwen's obviously planned education program wouldn't achieve that. Ever. 

“Sooo,” Ianto pondered. “What shall we do now?” 

Carefully, Tosh reached out to the artefact, touching it as little as possible since they didn't know how Jack had accidentally activated it. “I'll get to work at once. Gwen, you wanna help me.” It wasn't a question, and Gwen startled for a moment.

“Ehm, yeah, sure. I only thought Owen would be much more qualified for something like that. I thought I'd rather...” She made an aborted gesture in the direction of Jack's office.

Irritated, Ianto pressed his lips together, but before he could voice his displeasure, Tosh beat him to it. “I'm sure Owen has to complete the tests on Jack. And who we really need is Jack himself since he has the most experience with something like that, but, well.” Tosh didn't need to finish the sentence since it was all obvious to them.

Throwing a last look in the direction of Jack's office, then at Ianto, Gwen nodded. “Yeah, okay. Let's go.”

Ianto breathed a soft sigh of relief when she was gone.

Owen snorted, and shook his head in exasperation. “That woman. Thinks none other than her can care for a small child. Or Jack for that matter. What does she think we are? Ogres?”

Ianto had to suppress a small smile at the off-handed compliment Owen had given him that it maybe was  _ Ianto _ specifically that Jack needed after all. He nodded slowly, and softly said, “I'll go make some coffee.”

“Yeah, do that, mate,” Owen answered in a surprisingly kind voice. “That would be good.”

Ianto nodded briskly, and left.

 

A good while later, Ianto and Owen went to see how far Tosh and Gwen had come in their research, but when they met the two women in one of the labs, they were met with long faces.

“Nothing?” Ianto asked dejectedly.

They shook their head.

“It's really complicated,” Tosh explained, and for Tosh to admit defeat, this said a lot. 

“Yeah, we couldn't even find out how to activate it, least of all finding out how to reverse the process.” 

Owen opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a new voice suddenly echoing through the lab.

“You can't turn me back grown up?!”

They all spun around at the panicked cry.

“J...” Ianto cried, but held himself back just in time. “Hey,” he greeted the boy instead, and hurried over to him, kneeling down before him. “I thought I told you to stay in your room.”

Jack shrugged uneasily. “I was lonly.”

Knowing Jack, Ianto rather assumed he was bored, but he didn't call him on it since the sight of the little boy in his oversized T-Shirt looking up at him with trusting blue eyes melted Ianto's heart. Which probably was the manipulative imp's intention.

But suddenly, all traces of eventual manipulation left Jack's eyes, and instead, real fear glittered in the blue depths. “I have to stay a child for'ver?!”

“No, sweetie,” Gwen tried to placate the boy, kneeling down next to Ianto to be on eye level with Jack. “You just have to grow back up naturally.”

Jack's eyes grew wide, and tears gathered in them, a small whimper leaving his lips.

“Very subtle, Gwen,” Ianto hissed, and Gwen winced.

“What she wanted to say,” Tosh interjected hurriedly, “is that the process of the device that turned you into a child has to run its natural course.” 

Jack frowned while digesting that, but nodded at Tosh to go on.

“We can't throw a switch to make you an adult again, but the process should run itself out in a few days on its own. Then you should be your old self again.”

Ianto looked over his shoulder at Tosh for confirmation, but she nodded at him. Ianto didn't think she just would have said that to calm Jack down, but he needed to know for sure. He breathed a sigh of relief at her nod.

Jack made a relieved noise as well when he understood her words, and then, he glared at Gwen with a pout. “I don't like you.” And with that, stepped up to Ianto, and wrapped his arms around his neck. 

Gwen gasped affronted, and Tosh tried to contain her giggles. Owen wasn't so subtle, he snorted loudly, earning himself a scathing look from Gwen.

Ianto didn't show any outward reaction, but on the inside, he felt quite smug. Hiding the twitch of his lips in Jack's hair, he tightened the embrace. 

A sudden screech caused Jack to break away from Ianto, and he looked wildly around in astonishment. Through the open glass door of the lap, he spotted a huge shadow sailing through the cavernous Hub, and then, he let out a cry of delight when he discovered that the shadow belonged to Myfanwy.

He ran out into the cave, his bare feet slapping on the floor loudly in his excited haste, and came to a slithering stop a few metres away from her. Awed, he stared up at the pterosaur that had landed on one of the railings surrounding the water tower. 

Myfanwy though flinched when she spotted the strange, small human, and nervously clacked her beak. 

“Oh hush, girl,” Gwen laughed after the team had followed the excited child outside. “It's Jack! Don't you recognise him!”

Of course, the pterosaur didn't understand her, but Jack of course did. Frowning, he questioningly looked up at Gwen. 

“My name's not Jack,” he corrected her precociously. “I'm Javic.”

Gwen blinked a few seconds, baffled, but then her eyes widened when she realised that they finally knew Jack's real name.

Ianto groaned inwardly, and wished that he had simply told Jack earlier already that he called himself Jack nowadays because his real name was a secret. Now, it was too late, and Jack had to accept it as soon as he was an adult again. The only thing Ianto could do was perform damage control. He stepped forward, and knelt before Jack again, looking him firmly in the eye. “Listen. We all here know you as Jack. We never knew your real name because it's a secret.”

Jack's eyes widened. “A secret,” he whispered, and suddenly, his bottom lip started to tremble. “But now you know it. Will I be mad at me when I'm grown again?”

Soothingly, Ianto rubbed Jack's shoulders. “No, no,” he assured. “It's not your fault. I should have told you beforehand.”

Now, the tears really fell, and immediately, Ianto pulled Jack into his arms. “But then I'll be mad at you!” Jack cried desperately, clinging tightly to Ianto. “You must tell my ad'lt me not to be mad at you!”

“I'll tell him,” Ianto promised, caressing Jack's back. “But now come on. Everything is okay.” He gently pushed Jack away, and brushed the tears from his eyes with his fingertips. “I promised you something to eat, didn't I.”

Jack nodded mutely, still sniffling softly, and as if on cue, his stomach started to growl loudly. He looked sheepishly at Ianto.

The Welshman laughed good-naturedly, and stood up. He held out his hand to Jack who immediately took it. “How about some pizza as a treat?”

“What's a pizza?” Jack asked with curiously big eyes. 

For one split second, Ianto contemplated to condition Jack to more healthy food, but first, he didn't really want to change Jack, and second, the boy's day had been stressful enough so that he deserved a little treat. “You'll love it. And some ice cream too, I think,” he mumbled more to himself, and when he heard Jack's curious question what ice cream was, he knew he'd done the right thing. Not for the world did he want to miss Jack's reaction to the first ice cream in his life. 

 

Jack's first pizza and ice cream had been a spectacular experience for him, and a delight to look at for the team. The boy still didn't have table manners, but it warmed everyone's heart as they watched Jack's eyes grow big at the first bite of pizza. And after the ice cream, he looked like a sticky cone himself so that Ianto didn't have another choice but to put little Jack in the shower. But he didn't mind the mess at the table. Seeing Jack so carefree and happy was worth it and more. 

It had become quite late after Ianto had finally managed to get Jack out of the shower (apparently, Jack's home world was very hot, so of course, Cardiff had to be much too cold for the poor boy who only seemed to get warm under his blankets or under the hot water so that Ianto immediately felt guilty that he still let Jack run around in only an oversized T-Shirt), so he decided, it was time for bed. But boys being boys, and worse, Jack being Jack, he didn't want to. After overcoming his initial shyness and wariness, he'd become quite lively (untameable was maybe a more fitting description), and he could only be reigned in by Ianto or to some extent Tosh, no matter how hard he tried to turn on his charm on her. 

Gwen's renewed attempts to seize caring for Jack didn't really make the situation easier. Ianto knew she meant well, but he didn't like what she wanted to imply with offering to take Jack home with her, and care for him (Rhys would be delighted). He was really tempted to tell her that he had a little niece and nephew, and where were Gwen's kids that qualified her for taking care of one?! Just being a woman wasn't enough here. But he held his tongue because Jack made his thoughts known quite loudly and vehemently in that monent.

“I wanna stay here with Ianto!” he cried, and glared at everybody around defiantly.

And that was that, no matter how Gwen spluttered in protest. In the end, she went home alone, and after the others had left as well, Ianto was the only one left, and set to finally put the exuberant boy to bed. 

“Where will you sleep?” Wide-eyed, Jack sat back up in the bed, and looked questioningly at Ianto who just wanted to climb up the ladder again.

“On the couch up in Ja... the office.”

The boy suddenly bit his bottom lip uncertainly. “Please,” he finally said. “Please, Ianto, stay with me!” 

Ianto opened his mouth to retort something, but was interrupted by Jack again.

“Please! Don't leave me!” 

They looked each other deep in the eye for a few long moments before Ianto nodded eventually, not strong enough to bear Jack's pleading gaze. “All right.”

Jack returned his nod, and let out a shaky breath. Eagerly, he made some space for Ianto in the narrow bed, and lay down again.

Shaking his head in amazement that he let himself be swayed by Jack so easily, Ianto disappeared in the small bathroom adjacent to Jack's bedroom. For the night, he slipped on a pair of sweatpants Jack never wore, and kept on his vest. 

With mixed feelings, he lay down next to Jack who immediately snuggled up to him trustingly. For a long while, Ianto lay awake, brooding over this whole mess. He couldn't understand how he had developed such incredibly strong fatherly feelings for Jack although he definitely knew that this boy was the same person he normally had feelings of a completely different nature for. He  _ knew _ they were the same, and yet, his mind obviously saw the two as completely different persons. It was confusing like Hell, but at the same time, it didn't really matter. This child in his arms needed him, and it didn't matter if it was his lover's younger self or a strange child. Jack had chosen him as his champion, so he would be exactly that. 

Satisfied that he'd laid his disconcerting thoughts to rest, Ianto tightened his hold on the boy, and fell asleep as well. 

 

Ianto didn't know what it was that woke him up in the early morning hours, and he needed a moment to orientate himself. But then he remembered yesterday's events, and he became acutely aware of the restless little boy in the bed with him, starfishing over the mattress (nothing new there). The alarm clock read five-thirty, so he decided to get up. He wouldn't be able to fall asleep again anyway. 

Snatching one of his spare suits from Jack's wardrobe, he made his way into the bathroom as quietly as possible.

 

When he came out again, he stopped in the doorway for a moment to watch the sleeping boy in the cold light shining in from the bathroom. It was a novel to see him sleep. Most of the time, it was Jack who couldn't sleep so that Ianto would wake up with the older man watching him intently...

Suddenly, Ianto frowned, and came closer. Jack looked... taller. Older. He stopped next to the bed, and held his breath in surprise. Yep. Jack had clearly grown during the night. He was maybe eight or nine years old now. 

“Huh,” he softly made, relieved. At this growing rate, Jack would be his old self again in a few days. He didn't know how Tosh and Gwen had found out, but they had been right that the process would run its course naturally. Thank God. One thing less to worry about. And until they had Jack back, Ianto would try his utmost to make sure that the little Jack had as good a time as possible. Maybe some additional happy memories would further sustain him when he came to find himself alone again in the future when they were all...  _ No, don't think like that _ , Ianto chided himself.  _ Stay in the here and now! _

For now, he decided to let Jack sleep, and take care of breakfast instead. 

 

The others came in between seven and eight, coffee already awaiting them. Ianto thanked all the Gods on his knees that Jack had grown during the night because Gwen had brought some clothes she'd borrowed from a neighbour that had children, and that now were too small for Jack. Although she meant well, Ianto had to bite his tongue not to exclaim in horror how the Hell she thought bringing sweatshirts with Hello Kitty on it (apparently, the neighbour only had girls) were a suitable choice for a child like Jack. But that way, he simply thanked her, and told her the clothes wouldn't fit Jack any more though. And the first thing he did as soon as the others were there was to go out, and buy some boy's clothes in a second hand shop. He bought some for older children as well since they probably could take the other ones back tomorrow anyway considering the rate Jack was growing. 

When he returned, Jack was up, and, bundled up in a blanket against the cold of the Hub, was sitting in the autopsy bay, needling Owen with questions. The good doctor looked part amused, part exasperated to have such a fervent pupil. 

Luckily, the clothes fit Jack, and he didn't protest the Avengers picture plastered on the front of the sweatshirt since he didn't know these characters anyway (and the older Jack would have just found them hot). Unfortunately, now that he had more freedom through the clothes, Jack was like a whirlwind let lose in the Hub. He pestered everyone with questions, wanted to give all the artefacts they had lying around a try, and he insisted on riding on Myfanwy's back around the Hub (not that anyone heeded his insistent demands, mind you). To be truthful, they should have expected that a young Jack was even more of a handful than the older version. At least the older Jack could be bribed with sex, this one could only be slowed down by stuffing him full of unhealthy food. The ensuing food coma didn't last long enough to give them some time to breath before he was up and about again though. 

Come evening, Ianto had decided that he couldn't let Jack stay at the Hub any more. He was much too vivacious, the Hub much too dangerous, and Ianto wouldn't put it past the little imp to sneak away to explore the Hub unhindered while Ianto was asleep. And he feared that, the older Jack got, the more uncontrollable he became.

So, when the others called it a day, Ianto packed Jack's few clothes, and headed out with him as well. Tosh's Rift monitoring program was on, and would alert everyone should something happen. Until then, the Hub as well as its inhabitants could fare for themselves. 

At first, Jack was disappointed that he had to leave the Hub, but all his pleading and pouting didn't sway Ianto. But when he learned that from now on, he would stay at Ianto's, he became quite excited again which surely would give Ianto cause for a worry-induced headache as Jack got older. Behind all the bravado and cheerfulness, Ianto, knowing Jack very well, child-version or not, had already spotted Jack's fear of being left behind though, revealing itself in the tight lines around his mouth. It made Ianto's heart ache anew, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he simply took Jack home with him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. 

 

Making a detour for some take-away dinner since Ianto hadn't anything in, he finally brought Jack into his flat. As an adult, Jack had seldom been here although Ianto would often have liked if Jack accompanied him here for the night. He didn't like it when Jack spend his nights alone in the hole in the ground he called his room at the Hub. But since they weren't a couple, only two colleagues having some fun together, Ianto didn't dare presume that Jack would tolerate such more domestic behaviour. And Jack had never given any indication that he wanted to be more to Ianto, that he wanted to change their established routine by moving in with Ianto.

So to have him here now, even only in the form of an exuberant little boy, made Ianto's spirits soar.

Curious, Jack roamed through the flat while Ianto dished out their pizza and lasagne. Chatting animatedly, they shared the two dishes (in wise foresight, Ianto had put his foot down to spaghetti bolognese in favour of his interior decoration), and afterwards, they lay into the chocolate cake Ianto had bought. When Jack was an adult again, Ianto would put them both on a diet if they continued like this, but for now, Ianto wouldn't refuse Jack anything, no matter how unhealthy (except for the spaghetti of course).

Once more stuffed with food, Jack almost fell asleep sitting up, and Ianto had to refrain himself from picking the boy up, and putting him to bed. Instead, he gently nudged him in the direction of the guest bedroom, but when he stopped before the closed door, and Jack realised that he was supposed to sleep alone, he turned pleading eyes up to Ianto. 

“Please,” he begged. “I don't wanna be alone.”

It wasn't the first time Jack begged him not to leave him, but like the other times, Ianto couldn't say no to him this time as well. He nodded, and simply steered Jack further down the corridor towards his bedroom.

 

The next day, Jack had grown a little again. Not as much as yesterday, but still. Maybe his growth spurts were infrequent. But at least he  _ did _ get older at all, and that was the only thing that counted. If it would take a day more or less didn't matter. Ianto contemplated staying at home to watch Jack, but decided against it. He was sure that he would be able to control Jack, and stop him from too many shenanigans around the Hub. And since Jack was excited to see the others again as well, they all shared the task to look after their little leader. Ianto was sure Jack learned a lot of things that day, not all of them appropriate for sure when he spend his time with Owen, so in the early afternoon, Ianto provided the team with their last batch of coffee for the day, and then he left with Jack as long as it was still light outside. He wouldn't dare taking Jack to the playground for fear of his affronted scorn that he was much too old for something like this, but maybe they found something suitable and fun to do. He would have a workload of problems and worries soon enough when he was an adult again. 

In the end, Ianto had the idea to take Jack to Cardiff Winter Wonderland in the town's city. He'd never been there himself, only seen all the lights and rollercoasters and the huge Christmas tree from afar when passing through the area. When he was he child, there hadn't been something like this yet, and when he got older, he wasn't interested, and his family wouldn't have had the money anyway. Maybe he would have visited a site like this with Lisa; he didn't see Jack being someone who would like to go there. But little Jack... There were more than enough rollercoasters, carousels, and such things there that surely would amuse an adrenaline junkie like Jack Harkness for a while. 

The little boy looked around in awe when they strolled over the Wonderland's grounds, winding their way through all the brightly lit booths selling all kinds of foods, and drinks, and, sweets, their mouthwatering smells wafting around them. Ianto took Jack farther through to the multiple types of rollercoasters, postponing eating something until after the boy had made his insides turn upside down on one of these installations from Hell. Since Jack was still too small (although he nearly started a fight with the staff at being called small), Ianto had to accompany him on most of the coasters. It wasn't so bad in the end; maybe because Ianto was already used to Jack's break-neck driving which wasn't much different from all the loopings of the rollercoaster. Jack especially loved the giant wheel even though it wasn't driving fast (Ianto should have known that it would be Jack's favourite; he loved unhealthy heights after all), and Ianto too had to admit that the view over Cardiff was great, all the lights glittering like diamonds from up here as the daylight rapidly began to fade.

But at some point, Ianto didn't want to risk his health any more (that was what his job was for), and steered Jack in another direction with gentle force. 

“What about ice skating?” he asked the adrenaline-fuelled boy who looked up at him with big, excited eyes.

“What's ice skating?”

“Ehm, well...” Ianto scratched his nose at a loss until he shrugged eventually. “I'll show you, come on.” 

Eagerly, Jack followed him over to the huge ice rink where dozens of people skated around the brightly lit Christmas tree. 

“Why're they doing this?” Jack asked sceptically after he'd watched the skaters for a few minutes.

Ianto shrugged again. “Because it's fun.”

“But...” Jack frowned, and scrunched up his nose. “When that's really ice, why don't they eat it?”

“It's not that kind of ice,” Ianto laughed. 

“I've never seen something like that,” Jack breathed in awe. “We've only heat and sand at home.”

Ianto had to swallow heavily. “Do you want to try?” he asked with a lump in his throat.

Jack looked up to him, frowning sadly. “But I don't know how.”

“I'll show you,” Ianto promised. “It's been a long time since I skated myself, but it's like riding a bicycle, I think.”

Jack contemplated Ianto's offer for a few more seconds, then he nodded eagerly. He took Ianto's offered hand, and together, they went to get skates.

“What's a bicycle?”

 

Overcome with sudden wistfulness, Ianto's attentive gaze followed the little boy speeding over the ice, whooping loud and carefree with joy all the while. At first, they'd spend quite some time on the ice together; Ianto trying to get a feeling for ice skating again, and Jack trying to copy Ianto's movements, and attentively listening to his explanations. With the fearlessness of a child, Jack had figured it out pretty fast, and soon, the two of them were gliding over the ice. After some time, Ianto, to his embarrassment, had become tired, and had left the rink. Since then, he stood leaning on the side fence, and watched Jack whirling around the Christmas tree over and over. Once and again, he felt for his mobile in his pocket, and he had to withstand the urge to take it out, and look at the couple of photos he'd taken of them two and then Jack alone on the ice. He made a mental note to hack into the CCTV of the Wonderland, and get a copy from the footage of them on the ice. Even if Jack maybe wouldn't be interested in it, Ianto wished to have it as a keepsake of the boy that would soon be gone again from his life. It was amazing how fast he had come to love the little urchin so fiercely. 

Being so submerged in his musings, Ianto jumped in surprise when a small flash suddenly stopped abruptly right before him, grinning up at him, chipped ice spraying behind him in an arc at his abrupt stop just like a pro.

“You hungry?” he asked with a laugh.

Jack contemplated this for a moment very seriously, then he threw one last wistful look over his shoulder at the ice rink. But finally, he nodded, and left the ice. 

All this skating had made them both ravenous, so after leaving the ice rink behind them, they let themselves be drawn in by the delicious smells wafting over from the booths. After stuffing themselves with hot, greasy food as well as Jack having his first encounter with hot chocolate, the two of them left the Winter Wonderland in the evening glowing with happiness, and groaning satedly under the weight of their full bellies. 

To conclude the evening, Ianto decided on a film, choosing Star Wars which Jack found quite hilarious, making fun of all the aliens the producers had come up with, and comparing them with real ones he knew. Ianto learned a lot that evening. Not only about other species he'd never heard of, but about the place where Jack had grown up, galaxies away, hundreds of years in the future. The movie was forgotten, instead he eagerly soaked up all the little scraps of information the small Jack gave freely whereas the grown up version never talked about his past. 

 

That night, Ianto startled awake shortly after midnight, being woken up by a restless, whimpering boy in the throes of a nightmare. He'd noticed Jack's nightmares already last night, but this time, they seemed to be much worse. Gently, Ianto shook the trashing boy awake. Jack woke up with a shaky breath, and in the dim light of the street lights shining through the window, he could make out tear tracks on Jack's cheeks. Lovingly, he brushed them away while Jack looked at him with big, fearful eyes. “It was just a nightmare,” Ianto tried to soothe him. “You're okay. Nothing's gonna happen to you, do you hear me?”

Still wide-eyed, Jack nodded, and when Ianto opened his arms, the boy eagerly scrambled into his embrace, clutching Ianto's T-Shirt like a lifeline. 

“Want to tell me about your nightmare?” he asked softly while he caressed Jack's back soothingly over and over. A shudder went through the small body, and Jack started to speak in a shaky voice, “I don' really remember. 'S just... pictures like in those movies, really fast. And feelings.”

“What feelings?”

Jack shuddered again. “Fear. Loneliness.” He buried deeper into Ianto's embrace. 

“And the pictures?”

“I saw... a blue box. A man and a woman. I was so happy with them. Then... people screaming. Metallic voices crying 'Exterminate' over and over. It was so horrible, Ianto.” His voice faltered when he started to cry again, and Ianto gently rocked him in his arms while he pondered Jack's words. He clearly had flashbacks of his old life with the Doctor and Miss Tyler, and who knew what else. But Ianto wished he wouldn't remember at all. These memories were horrible enough for a grown man, Jack's frequent nightmares testifying to that, but for a child... But they couldn't prevent them. Only hope that Jack would soon be his old self again. This wouldn't lessen the horror of his memories, but then at least, he would be able to make sense of them. 

He held Jack for a long time, and eventually, the boy was asleep again. Ianto himself needed a long, long time before he managed to fall asleep again as well, a finally calm child still tightly in his arms. 

 

Apart from Jack's memories that haunted him at night, another problem became apparent in the next few days. The older Jack got, the more he learned to use his considerable charm for other means than the desires of a little boy like pizza and sweets. Plainly, he started flirting madly with all of them. Well, maybe not all. Gwen he tried to shock with inappropriate innuendo, and the bantering with Owen simply turned a shade more naughty than normal. But he tried his rapidly awakening arts of seduction on Tosh who was either part embarrassed, flattered, and endeared by Jack's attempts. And of course, he started hitting heavily in Ianto so as if his subconsciousness remembered that there had been more between them. Like Tosh, he was amused by Jack's attempts. It was just too cute, but a nagging thought at the back of his mind warned him that the situation wouldn't stay as amusing and harmless as it was. 

Because on the evening of the second day Jack had started to explore his awakening sexuality, he kissed Ianto out of the blue.

Shocked, Ianto stared at the now fourteen year old for a few moments without blinking. Jack held his gaze stubbornly even if an endearing, shy blush started to creep on to his cheeks. 

“Jack, I...”

“I want you to be my first, Ianto!” Jack interrupted him hastily, and gripped Ianto's hands tightly. Only in that moment, holding on to the youth's big, strong hands, did Ianto realise how tall Jack had become, that he definitely wasn't a child any more. But that didn't mean that he was old enough to have sex, let alone have sex with Ianto.

“No, Jack,” he told him firmly after he had somewhat recovered from his shock. 

The fierce, determined look didn't leave Jack's face. “Why not!”

“Because you re too young.”

“I knew you'd say that,” the young man sighed in exasperation. “But I'm not a child any more. And we already have a sexual relationship, don't we?!”

Ianto opened his mouth in shock, but no words came out. “How do you know that!?” he finally managed to blurt out. 

Jack shrugged innocently, but an unmistakable smug twitch played around his mouth. “I'm not blind, Ianto,” he chuckled. “I noticed your spare clothes in my older self's wardrobe. And I heard the things the others don't say when they sometimes suddenly stop themselves.”

Ianto gnashed his teeth, and cursed Jack's observant eye. 

“So.” Expectantly, Jack looked at him.

But Ianto didn't plan on letting himself be manipulated by the youth. “It doesn't matter. We can have sex all you want once you're a consenting adult again. Not a minute earlier.”

The smug expression on Jack's face suddenly made way for hurt desperation. “Don't treat me like a spoilt child. Don't you know why I want you to be my first?! I've already noticed that my life seems to be rather complicated and paved with hurt and death. All of your lives are in this job. So, I want something good to remember once I return to this life. I'm not stupid, I know what my nightmares mean. Can't say I like my life very much from what I can gather from these dreams. So, please, give me some good memories to counteract the bad that soon enough will be a part of them. You have given me so many good memories already in the last few days. I beg you to give me that as well.”

They looked at each other for long moments, Jack's upset, heavy breathing the only sounds in the room, and Ianto was impressed with the youth's passionate, desperate speech as well as incredibly sad that the tragedy of Jack's life was so obvious to even a child, but he couldn't let himself be swayed.

“No.” It was the hardest thing Ianto ever had to do, and he had to turn away from Jack's pleading eyes as well as temptation in his attempt to do the right thing, the honourable and responsible thing as the only adult here in this conversation. But it was hard. So hard. “Once you're yourself again, we can make just as many good memories,” he answered softly. “I think it would be best for you to sleep in the guest bedroom from now on.”

For a few moments, hurt silence lay over the room. Then Jack let out a soft sob that almost broke Ianto's heart, but he didn't turn around. Then loud steps hurrying away, and in the next second, Ianto heard the slamming of a door. Probably the guest bedroom. At least it wasn't the front door signalling Jack running away. He wasn't really in the mood to chase after a hurt teenager through night time Cardiff.

Sighing heavily, he went to bed.

 

The mood between them was strained and awkward the next day. So much so that Ianto wished he would have given in just to get back the relaxed, happy atmosphere between them. 

Over the course of the day, they didn't see each other much. Where they had spent as much time together as possible before, now both of them avoided each other. Jack spend a lot of time with their acerbic medic which was not a healthy indication for Jack's state of mind. Of course, everyone noticed that something was wrong, but neither Ianto nor Jack wanted to confide in one of the others. 

It was hard on both of them when they had to leave in the evening together, and more than once, Ianto had considered asking one of the others to take Jack in. But in the end, he hadn't. Sending him home with Owen would have only ended in disaster (in the best case in a pub crawl through Cardiff, in the worst case... well... in an orgy with a lot of strangers maybe), and if he'd asked Tosh to take him in, maybe Jack would have propositioned her because he was hurt, and angry, and wanted to get back at Ianto. Gwen was out of the question even more so. Ianto wouldn't give her any more ammunition to hold against Ianto that he couldn't manage to take care of a kid. No, thank you. His life was complicated enough. And above all, no matter what had happened or would still happen, he never wanted to betray Jack's trust like that by foisting him off on somebody else. He'd promised him.

At home, they managed to get through dinner together though it was a rather silent, awkward affair. Afterwards, Jack went to his room, and Ianto, after unsuccessfully trying to read a new book he'd had lying on his bedside table for months now, called it a night as well. He tossed, and turned for a long time before he eventually fell into a fitful sleep. 

 

Moaning softly, Ianto arched his back in ecstasy at the exquisite feeling coursing through him. He reached down, and buried his hands into Jack's hair tightly. Panting heavily, he gazed down where Jack lay between his spread thighs, and he moaned anew at the sight of Jack's wicked lips stretched tightly around his rock-hard cock. 

“Please,” he groaned, and snapped his hips up to watch himself slide deeper into Jack's mouth. Sparkling blue eyes looked up at him mischievously, challenging him to thrust even deeper. 

Ianto complied all too gladly.

But then, Jack drew back again as if to tease him, and Ianto moaned in protest. Cold air met his spit-slicked cock, making him gasp in shock at the contrast to Jack's hot mouth. Ready to chastise him, he looked down again, and held his breath in another kind of shock. There between his spread legs wasn't Jack like he knew him but his now seventeen year old version. He blinked heavily, and shook his head. With horror, he realised he'd been asleep, Jack's ministrations in the real world obviously the cause for this erotic dream. His arousal flagging slightly at the realisation what was happening, Ianto sat up, and shoved Jack away who scrambled up as well. “What are you doing!?” he cried, unconsciously looking for his boxer shorts to pull them up again frantically, but they were gone. The bastard had dared to strip him in his sleep!

Amused, Jack returned his appalled gaze. “I think that's quite obvious.”

“How dare you sneak in here! I told you no!” For a moment, incandescent rage gripped Ianto, and he wanted nothing more than to throw this insolent boy out of his room. But he didn't. He couldn't. Not with a naked, aroused Jack still kneeling between his legs watching him with that calm, intense gaze, biding his time for Ianto to fold. His wicked hands hanging loosely by his sides dangerously close to Ianto's naked thighs. He felt his resistance wavering.

And then it hit him. The damn pheromones. He should have known that come puberty, Jack would sooner or later start to emit them, crushing Ianto's resolve to dust. He drew in a sharp, furious breath, involuntarily inhaling lungs-full of the enticing scent. His body started to tremble in sudden unsatisfied lust, and his arousal flared anew like a blaze. And of course, Jack noticed his weakening resolve. A small, triumphant smile played around his lips, and enticingly slow, he moved to his hands and knees. With the grace, and wildness, and menace of a cat despite his gangly youthfulness, he crawled up Ianto's prone body, his sinewy, hot body blanketing Ianto's own with every centimetre he moved up, and with his ascent, he slowly shoved up Ianto's T-Shirt until the older man didn't have another choice but to tug it over his head, baring himself completely for Jack's hungry gaze. Before he could protest, the weight of Jack's body pressed all breath from his lungs, not because his slender body was so heavy but because feeling Jack enveloping him like that was electrifying. They both couldn't contain a throaty moan when that way, their cocks pressed together, the sweet pressure almost too much, but at the same time, not enough to satisfy them. Jack hovered above Ianto, propping himself up on his elbows left and right from Ianto's head, and tangling their legs together. Their faces were so close to each other that Jack was the only thing Ianto could see, his warm breath caressing his face as his surely must caress Jack's in turn though Ianto barely dared to breath at all. 

They looked each other deeply in the eye for long minutes, drowning in each other, and completely alone in their own world for now. 

Then Jack bend down to kiss Ianto, and at the same time, Ianto raised his head those last few centimetres to meet the younger man. Jack sighed into his mouth in relief when their lips met, and Ianto felt himself melt in surrender. Eagerly, the younger man deepened the kiss surprisingly skilful for someone experiencing their first kiss.

_ Damn you, Jack Harkness _ , Ianto thought in amusement.  _ You have to be a natural at this, don't you. How frustrating for us mere mortals.  _

Returning the kiss, and applying all the tricks that Jack had taught him, making the younger version moan he noted smugly, Ianto wrapped his arms tightly around Jack, squashing their aroused bodies flush together. 

The kiss continued for some time during which they became impossibly harder, and eventually, Jack sat up, straddling Ianto's thighs. They looked at each other intently for some time, both of their bodies trembling in unslaked lust, and in Jack's case probably slight fear. In an unconscious gesture, Jack's fingertips constantly brushed over Ianto's hips and the side of his thighs so as if he somehow needed the physical connection. The feather-light caresses were driving Ianto mad. Then the youth suddenly bend forwards, and reached over to Ianto's bedside table. In a sure movement, he pulled open the drawer, and fished out the lube. The little minx must have snooped around in there to be prepared for his grand endeavour. 

With shaking fingers, Jack snapped open the cap with a click, and liberally coated his hand with the slick gel. His hand shook some more when he reached between their bodies, and wrapped it around Ianto's dripping erection for the first time. Carefully, Ianto propped himself up on his elbows without ever taking his eyes from Jack, watching every of his lover's reactions attentively. Breathing erratically in fascination and excitement, the young man in turn stared down with big eyes on his hand that slowly but firmly slid up and down Ianto's cock. 

“Stop!” Ianto gasped, and put his hand over Jack's to stop his movements.

Jack's wide gaze snapped up to Ianto, only now jolting out of his dazed, aroused haze. Ianto gave him an amused smile. “If you don't stop now, it will be over before we've even started.”

Jack blinked for a moment, then returned the smile in comprehension, lowering his gaze bashfully. He nodded, and not without regret, took his hand from Ianto's cock who let out a soft sigh of equally relief as well as regret. 

“I...” Jack stopped abruptly, blushing furiously, and shifted around on Ianto's lap in nervousness. The sight was incredibly endearing. He drew in a shaky breath. “I already prepared myself,” he mumbled, but bravely met Ianto's eyes.

Ianto couldn't help but chuckle. Bless the internet (or probably Owen; had to get to the bottom of that tomorrow). “The less time for me to change my mind, eh?”

Pressing his lips together stubbornly, Jack ignored him, and raised himself up on his knees. He searched Ianto's eyes. “Please,” he whispered.

Hesitating for one last second, Ianto finally nodded. He put one hand onto Jack's hip to steady him, with the other, he grabbed his leaking erection to hold himself steady. Putting gentle pressure on Jack's hip, he guided him down. They both shuddered when the head of Ianto's cock brushed Jack's anticipatively twitching hole. Then Jack lowered himself further, and he groaned as the thick head tried to breach his body.

“Slowly,” Ianto cautioned, sinking his fingers into the flesh of Jack's hip in warning. The younger man indeed slowed down, but didn't let himself be stopped. Steadily, he forced his body down onto Ianto's cock. His whole frame trembled, and sweated heavily with the effort, and the only thing Ianto could do to soothe him was to gently caress his hip and thigh until he'd finally bottomed out. 

The two men paused for a while, their laborious breathing the only sounds in the otherwise silent room while on the one side Jack got used to the intrusive pressure, and Ianto had some time to get his bearings again on the other side. 

“All right?” Ianto asked with difficulty, steadily caressing Jack's trembling thighs.

Jack nodded jerkily, and tried to breathe through the pain. 

Ianto grasped Jack's hands, and gently intertwined their fingers. “At your own pace.”

Biting his bottom lip, Jack slowly raised himself up, using the grip on Ianto's hands as support, and slowly sank down again. 

Ianto licked his dry lips, and couldn't turn his eyes from the young man writhing above him, his head thrown back, and his eyes closed in abandon. 

“Very good,” Ianto breathed. “How're you feeling?”

“Good,” Jack replied with a laugh, and finally, he opened his eyes to look down at Ianto, his blue eyes shining with emotion. 

Ianto smiled at him, and, using the grip on their joined hands to pull himself into a sitting position, pressed their chests flush together. Craning his neck, Ianto took Jack's lips in a moist, dirty kiss. At the same time, he released Jack's hands only to wrap his arms around the young man, using his hold on Jack to roll them both around. As soon as Jack lay on his back, he instinctively wrapped his legs tightly around Ianto's waist, and he moaned when his lover's cock slid deeper into him again. 

“Jack,” Ianto gasped when the youth clenched around him, and, raising himself up on his elbows for more leverage, he couldn't stop himself from giving a jerky thrust of his hips.

And another. 

And another.

“Say my name, please,” Jack begged with a breathy moan as the next thrust hit his prostate dead on. 

“Javic,” Ianto smiled at him, gently caressing Jack's cheek while he kissed him, and his other hand slid down the sweat-slick, heaving body to grip Jack's right thigh, bending it even more towards Jack's chest so that he slid impossibly deeper.

“Again,” Jack cried. “Oh Ianto, please, say it again.” 

“Javic,” he breathed feverishly because the moment he heard the youth's sobbed begging, he was suddenly overcome with such a strong possessiveness that it frightened him. He'd never felt anything like it before. “My Javic. You're mine, do you hear me! None other shall ever have you. Not you.”

“I'm yours,” Jack agreed with a cry, tears of joy spilling from his eyes, and he raised his hips to meet Ianto's steady, forceful thrusts. “Only yours.”

Suddenly, Jack froze in his arms, and with a strangled gasp, he came all over his stomach without his cock ever being touched. Ianto shuddered as the contracting muscles of Jack's passage ripped his own orgasm from him. His jerking hips thrust forward one last time, and, buried deep inside his lover, he spilled into him. Trembling, and breathing heavily, Ianto carefully lowered himself onto Jack, lying his head on to Jack's heaving chest, Jack's arms coming up immediately to wrap tightly around him. 

“I love you.”

Ianto froze at the softly whispered words, almost incomprehensible above his own heavy breathing. For some unknown reason, Ianto's eyes became slightly moist, and he had to swallow heavily around the lump in his throat. It was an incredibly sweet thing of Jack to say, and it was the one sentence he'd wished to hear from Jack for quite some time now, but unfortunately, it was the wrong Jack saying it. This Jack had no idea of his own past, of his own past with Ianto, of the things that shaped them and their relationship. He only knew the good things happening between them at the moment. There was no darkness clouding their being together, and no knowledge of the numerous other lovers that had come before Ianto. For this Jack, there was only Ianto. And that simply wasn't enough for Ianto. He wanted the other Jack to say it – provided he felt like that in the first place –, saying it with the knowledge of all that had happened between them, good and bad.

But since that, in all likeliness, would never happen, Ianto had to make do with the love confession of a seventeen year old boy that was fixated solely on Ianto. It wasn't fair to Jack, neither to Ianto, but life never was.

Slowly, he propped himself up on his elbows, and looked Jack deeply in the eye for a long time. Eventually, when anxiousness of being rejected started to creep into Jack's gaze, Ianto bend down to kiss him deeply. He tried to put all of his feelings into this one kiss because saying it out loud was out of the question. He would say it to the original Jack or no one. 

That didn't mean that he didn't care for Javic. He did. Deeply. Ianto recalled the frightening possessiveness he'd felt towards the young man only minutes before. It had been so powerful feeling like that. But these quite dark emotions led to even more unpleasant feelings. Guilt. Ianto was supposed to take care of this boy, to protect him. Not have sex with him. He was still so young... but he hadn't been strong enough to resist him. Obviously, no matter which form Jack had, he always was the one ruling Ianto's heart. 

He wanted to groan out loud, but he held himself back just in time. Instead, he sat up, and smiled reassuringly at Jack's questioning, heartbreakingly trusting gaze. Gently, he brushed his fingers through Jack's hair. “I'll just get us something to clean up with.”

And without waiting for Jack's reply, Ianto fled into the bathroom. For a few long moments, he stood before his bathroom mirror, hands braced on the sink, and took deep, calming breaths. But he wasn't brave enough to look himself in the eye. Holding his gaze averted from his own reflection, Ianto quickly grabbed a washcloth, and soaked it in warm water. He fled the bathroom equally as fast as he'd fled the bedroom. Facing the youth was easier than facing himself somehow. At least Jack didn't think he'd done something wrong... At least this Jack. What the older version would say to tonight... Well. Only time would tell. He was probably the only one who wouldn't hold his behaviour against Ianto. 

He forced a smile onto his face when he met Jack's gaze which quickly turned genuine. He simply couldn't stay moody in Jack's bright presence.

Lovingly, he cleaned his lover up, and after uncharacteristically simply throwing the washcloth onto the floor next to the bed, he lay back down only to be met with an armful of seventeen year old in need of a cuddle.

“When can we do this again?!” Jack asked eagerly, his face pressed into the crook of Ianto's neck so that he felt his lips stretch in a big smile against his skin.

Oh God! He was doomed! 

 

His going to Hell seemed to have to wait because the next morning promptly brought them a bunch of rowdy Weevils and a Rift alert in the afternoon that helped to postpone Ianto drowning in guilt for the day. 

But shortly after their afternoon break, it indeed went downhill when Gwen cornered him before leaving the board room, Owen and Tosh having to stay because Gwen and Ianto inadvertently blocked the door. 

“Is ev'rything okay again between you two?” Gwen asked, scrutinizing Ianto with big eyes.

Somehow, he didn't like the direction this conversation was going into. “Ehm, what do you mean?”

“Well, yesterday, you seemed to avoid Jack, and he was so... so mutinous, but today... I don't know.” She shrugged. “It's as if he's a completely different person. He's so... happy. He's practically glowing.” She frowned suddenly. “Whereas you look incredibly guilty now that I think about it...”

Owen groaned behind them exasperated which didn't bode well. “Oh mate, really?!”

“What?” Gwen looked questioningly at Owen, and Tosh frowned for a moment as well.

“It's none of your business, Owen,” Ianto hissed, pressing his lips together tightly in disapproval. 

“Don't you think I don't know why he behaved like a spurned diva yesterday?! I had to listen to this most of the afternoon, and I'm not stupid. It clicked eventually.”

Tosh and Gwen gasped.

“Oh,” made Tosh softly, and frowned again while Gwen opened and closed her mouth like a gaping fish.

“You... you...” she babbled in shock. But then, she composed herself, a hard, disapproving expression replacing her shock. “You slept with him?!” she cried shaken.

Ianto clenched his teeth. “As I said, it's none of your business.”

“It is when you go and abuse a child!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out, Gwen!” Owen cried.

“Gwen, don't you think you're overreacting a little?” Tosh tried to intervene as well because Ianto was so shocked that he didn't get out even one word. 

“Overreacting?!” Gwen turned wide eyes onto Tosh. “Jack's a child. And Ianto is a grown man. Do you seriously want to tell me it's okay when a grown man has sex with a child?! Back with the police, these were the worst cases you could get, children being taken advantage off! It was so horrible.”

“Dear fucking God, Gwen!” Owen seethed, and grabbed her arm roughly so she would face him. “This isn't the police force, and we're dealing with something completely different here. This situation doesn't even closely fall into the normal range of the law.” 

“A child is a child,” Gwen replied stubbornly, and glared at Owen. “Jack should have come with me from the beginning instead of living at Ianto's. Then, this wouldn't have happened.” 

Ianto had become white as a sheet with shock and rage. “How dare you accuse me of being a rapist!” he pressed through clenched teeth. “A paedophile!” Ianto balled his hands to fists to hide their shaking. “I'm really tempted to shoot you right now, Gwen Cooper. To think that a friend of mine would think me capable of hurting someone like this, of hurting Jack... It makes me sick.”

“That's the whole problem here,” Gwen spat back, raising her chin up defiantly. “It's Jack. You're obsessed with him.”

“Oh, and you aren't?!” Ianto taunted incredulously. 

But Gwen continued as if he hadn't interrupted her, “You're obsessed, like you were obsessed with Lisa before that. And you would do everything to have him. Even take advantage of a helpless child.”

Ianto trembled over his whole body. He couldn't believe what he heard here, and out of reflex, he wanted to raise his hand to slap her. But suddenly, a warm, strong hand slipped into his, and held him back, grounding him. With wide eyes, he looked to the side. There stood Jack, holding Ianto's hand tightly, but his hard stare was fixed onto Gwen. 

“I think that's quite enough,” he said with an authority in his voice that was beyond his youthful age. 

“Jack,” Gwen stammered. “Sweetie. I only...”

“You may mean well, yes, but just shut up,” Jack said coldly. “You don't know what you're talking about.”

“But he is... and you are...”

Jack gripped Ianto's hand tighter, and raised himself up to his full height. “He is the man I love,” he declared for all to hear, shutting them all up for good for a few seconds, and normally, Ianto would have been mortified to have his private life laid out here before his colleagues, but he was much too shocked as well. “And I'm not really a child. In a few days' time, I'll be back to my adult self, and if I'm not mistaken, I'm your boss then. So, I'd really appreciate it if you would focus your energy on your work instead of Ianto. As you can see, I'm quite well. There's no need to be worried about me. And if you have to know, I was the one propositioning him, not the other way round. Ianto tried to do the honourable thing and stop me.”

For a moment, Jack and Gwen looked at each other intensely, then Jack turned around, and since he still had a tight grip on Ianto's hand, the older man didn't have another choice but to follow Jack out of the room. He led them swiftly into his office where he firmly shut the door. There, a ripple went through Jack's whole body, and he exhaled a shaky breath. Suddenly, the authoritative young man from a few moments ago was gone, and in his stead stood a vulnerable youth who was terrified to have messed up. “I'm sorry, Ianto. I didn't want to cause you any problems.”

Ianto smiled reassuringly at Jack, and spontaneously pulled him into a tight embrace. “It’s not your fault. You'll soon remember that Gwen can be a little too much sometimes although she means well.”

Jack drew back to scrutinize Ianto. “You don't have to pretend. The things she said... It was horrible!”

Ianto sighed, and his shoulders slumped, allowing for his composure to slip in the confines of Jack's office. He went over to the sofa in the corner, and let himself fall into the cushions. Jack followed him, and pressed himself to his side, still watching him with worry. “You're right,” Ianto confessed. “I never thought she could be this... vicious. That she could ever think me capable of...”

“You aren't,” Jack said firmly, his determined eyes boring into Ianto. “And that's the most important thing. This is just between us two, and it doesn't matter what she thinks. Or what the others think.”

“But it does,” Ianto protested. “We work so closely together, it's like family.”

Jack shrugged. “Do you care about your real family's opinion of you?”

Ianto flinched, and looked at Jack with wide eyes. “How did you...”

“Oh please. I told you already; I'm not stupid, I notice things. But what I wanted to say; family, by blood or not, means accepting someone exactly who they are.”

Ianto sighed, and gave in to the urge to put his head on Jack's shoulder. “You're right. But that doesn't mean I feel good about it.”

“Nobody said you should.”

“Why are you so wise suddenly?!”

“I've always been wise,” Jack retorted smugly. 

“Idiot,” Ianto grunted fondly, and playfully swatted Jack's thigh. 

“Hmm, no. That excludes itself, can't be right...”

Happily, Ianto closed his eyes, and listened to Jack prattle on about endearing trivialities.

 

Although today's events really had gotten to him, Ianto took Jack home in the evening nonetheless, and after hesitating for a split-second, roughly pushing his guilt away, he allowed him into his bed again as well. But he wasn't in the mood for sex, and thankfully, Jack sensed that. Therefore, they just laid in bed together, tightly pressed together for comfort, their arms and legs tangled.

Coming into the Hub the next day was awkward, but at least Gwen kept her distance either because she was offended or couldn't face Ianto because she felt guilty. Ianto didn't know, and for the moment, frankly didn't care. Tosh however greeted him with a friendly smile, and treated Ianto completely normal (Gwen she gave a wide berth Ianto noticed with a mix of remorse and spiteful glee). And Owen threw him an exasperated, smug grin, shaking his head with a “Didn't know you had it in you, mate”, and disappeared into his lab again. Ianto stared after him, blinking, and decided that he didn't want to analyse this comment too closely. 

Jack got older rapidly. He had to be in his early twenties now, and the older he got, the more Ianto's guilt at having slept with the younger Jack simply faded away. Especially when, after work (Jack was old enough now to be helpful around the Hub, and be it feeding – flirting – with Myfanwy who'd recognised Jack by now), after having dinner together and maybe a movie, they went to bed together. It was adventurous and new, refreshing and a lot of fun being the teacher now. Everything Jack had ever taught him, Ianto could now teach to the younger Jack, and since he was an equally as apt and eager pupil as Ianto had been, still was, what they were experiencing bordered on transcendental. He'd never felt so carefree in his life.

Even now, sitting at his desk in the Archives, Ianto shuddered pleasantly when he thought of the last few nights. Of honing the younger man's skills, taking him again, Jack taking him in turn... 

And then one day, only a couple of weeks after they had encountered a small, frightened boy in an abandoned warehouse, Ianto woke up one morning beside Jack whose body was glowing softly. Gasping in shock, Ianto scrambled away from the softly golden glowing body, but couldn't turn his gaze away from the beautiful sight. Ianto's shocked scrambling made the mattress churn, waking Jack up in the process. The older man blinked a moment in disorientation, but then, he spotted Ianto sitting beside him anxiously, and he smiled at him. 

The moment Ianto looked Jack in the eye, he just knew that the process was over. These eyes were much too old for a man that had spent the short time of his new life carefree and protected. 

“Hey,” Jack said softly, and reached out his hand toward Ianto. Only then did he notice the glowing of his skin. His smile stayed gentle, and reassuring, and he held his hand poised motionlessly. “It's only vortex energy,” he said. “It's back, I'm back to normal. You don't have to be afraid.” 

The other man stayed frozen for a few additional moments, but then he took Jack's hand, and let himself be pulled down again. Immediately, Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto, and drew him in for a playful kiss. Ianto gasped in surprise when his body started to tingle pleasantly everywhere his body touched Jack's. And Jack was so warm that he immediately felt completely secure. 

Jack grinned at him when Ianto drew back, and let his hands slide all over Ianto's back suggestively. Ianto grinned back, and tapped Jack's nose playfully. “When will you stop glowing like that? It's quite inconvenient.”

“Hm, I don't know.” Jack's grin took on a suggestive leer. “I could think of some things where it would be convenient.” 

“I can imagine,” Ianto chuckled. 

“I wanted to tell you...” Jack let his hands glide down to Ianto's ass, suggestively caressing his buttocks. “You were a wonderful teacher.”

“What?” Ianto frowned. 

“These last few days. You don't have to feel any guilt. I wanted it, so... no hard feelings.” Jack chuckled, more amused about Ianto's dilemma than reproachful. 

Disgruntled, Ianto pressed his lips together.

Jack laughed. “Don't be cross with me.” And he leaned up again to kiss the disgruntled expression from Ianto's lips.

The younger man calmed down though at Jack's next words, spoken more severely now, all traces of mirth gone from Jack's voice, “I'm incredibly grateful that you took such good care of me. In every sense. You didn't take advantage of me in any way, Ianto.”

Ianto contemplated this for a few moments. Eventually, he nodded.

Suddenly, Ianto's mobile rang, ripping through the intimate moment. Sighing, he grabbed it from his bedside table, taking the call. 

He looked at Jack seriously when he let the phone sink from his ear. “Work,” he sighed, and Jack nodded curtly.

“Shower?”

“Not together,” Ianto blocked him.

They both left the bed, and Ianto disappeared into the bathroom with a fresh suit, adamantly trying not to let himself be swayed by Jack's disappointed mock pout.

“I could make some coffee in the meanwhile,” Jack called after him.

“Don't touch my coffee maker!” came the crisp reply, and the last thing Ianto heard before he shut the bathroom door behind him was Jack's chuckle. When it was Jack's turn (heaven knew what the man had occupied himself with while Ianto showered), Ianto took care of the coffee. Coming back into the bedroom with a steaming cup for Jack, he mutely watched him get dressed in the clothes that had found their way into Ianto's wardrobe over the last few days. 

“God, I'm glad when I get my normal clothes back!” Jack moaned, and pulled a navy blue suit jacket over his shirt. 

Ianto shrugged much too casual. “You look good though.”

“Yeah?” Jack threw him a suggestive grin, and took a look at himself in the full length mirror of the wardrobe. “Hm, not bad, yeah,” he had to admit, admiring his ass in the tight jeans he wore. “But still. I like my old style better. Makes me more mysterious.”

Ianto snorted. “Yeah. You're not mysterious enough already.”

“I don't have that many secrets left, do I.” Jack looked pointedly at Ianto while pulling on his boots. Ianto didn't reply anything at first, seeming calm on the outside, but on the inside, he was jittery with sudden nerves. He put the mug down on the bedside table lest he spilled some of the hot brew.

“Is your name really Javic, then?” Ianto burst out, not able to hold himself back any more. “Or is it just another false identity?”

Jack sighed, stopping in tying his boots. “No, it's really my name.” His gaze hardened slightly. “Although I'm really not happy that all of you know my true name now.”

He grimaced when he saw Ianto flinch at his harsh tone, and he didn't miss the hurt and dejected look flitting over Ianto's face for only a second before he hid his emotions again behind a mask of indifferent professionalism. “But,” he tried to make amends, trying to show Ianto that he trusted him after all, “I don't mind you knowing. And I promised not to be mad at you, didn't I.”

Ianto nodded, relaxing slightly, but a certain strain of unease remained in him.

Jack came to a decision then and there. 

“Javic Piotr Thane.”

Ianto's gaze snapped up in surprise, looking at the man sitting on his bed with wide eyes.

Jack shrugged. “That's my full name.” Carefully, so as not to spook Ianto away, he rose, and stepped up to him, gently framing his face with his hands. “If there's anyone I would want to know my name, it's you.”

Blinking at Jack in surprise, Ianto swallowed heavily, and gladly accepted the apologetic kiss Jack pressed to his lips. He smiled a little crookedly at him. “Nonetheless, I have to ask you to forget it again. I can't risk it for my name to appear in a Torchwood file. I know,” he hastily assured, “that you would never tell any of my secrets, but I can't risk it. I mustn't give the Time Agency even the slightest chance of finding me.”

“I understand,” Ianto nodded emphatically. “Then we won't speak of it any more. Jack.”

Jack smiled at him. “I can always rely on you, thank you.” He leaned over to kiss Ianto once more, this time with a little more heat in it, leaving his younger lover quite flustered.

“You're welcome,” Ianto stated formally, and cleared his throat to gloss over his embarrassment. “Since we're talking about the Time Agency... here. This is yours.” His cheeks heating with renewed embarrassment as he unstrapped the vortex manipulator from his wrist, Ianto averted his gaze when he held the wrist band out to Jack. “I... just wanted to keep it safe,” he tried to justify himself why he was wearing it in the first place a little lamely before trailing off. He'd even put it on again after his shower on instinct although he'd known the time had come to give it back to Jack.

The sudden silence between them became a little awkward, so Jack hurried to further appease his obviously still upset lover.

“Then I thank you for keeping it safe.” Jack smiled at Ianto while he put the wrist strap back to its proper place.

Ianto shrugged, still embarrassed, not wanting to explain why he had actually worn the vortex manipulator instead of simply putting it in the safe. Maybe Jack knew anyway. Sometimes, the Captain showed remarkable insight into people's feelings and motives.

“We... we should really go,” Ianto stated wanly. “There's work to do.”

“Yes. We should.” Jack nodded which Ianto returned.

“Okay then.” Nervous, the younger man brushed past Jack to leave the bedroom in a hurry.

“And Ianto.”

He stopped as if frozen, but didn't turn around to Jack. “Yes?”

“What I said a few days ago...”

Ianto swallowed. He instinctively knew what Jack meant without even explaining himself. He waved his hand dismissively after he'd composed himself in a split-second again. He threw Jack a rather insincere smile. “It's all right. You were just a kid.”

“No, what I wanted to say... I do. Really.”

Ianto froze like a deer caught in the headlights, and stared up at Jack with wide eyes. Smiling ruefully, Jack bridged the distance between them, and put his hands around the sides of Ianto's neck. Ianto trembled at Jack's close proximity and in, yes, fear.

“I love you, Ianto Jones.” 

And with these three simple words, all of Ianto's fears vanished like mist in the wind. He blinked in shock, and after a while, he stubbornly blinked to get rid of the tears gathering in his eyes. Taking in a shaky breath, Ianto smiled at Jack. “I love you, too,” he whispered. It felt so good finally saying it. He hadn't ever taken himself for the sentimental type, but obviously, he was. So much so that three little words from the right person reduced him to tears like a teenage girl. “It means a lot to me to hear you say it.”

Jack smiled ruefully. “I said it before. But it wasn't the right Jack, hm?”

“Not really, no.”

“That's okay. Come here.” Jack drew Ianto into his arms, and for a long time, they stood in the middle of Ianto's bedroom, embracing tightly. Owen's call forgotten for the moment (it hadn't been _that_ urgent anyway).

Eventually, they parted from each other, for a moment neither man knowing what to say. Ianto held his gaze fixed onto Jack's chest, nervously fumbling with a button on Jack's shirt while he felt Jack's eyes boring into him. Suddenly, he realised something.

“You stopped glowing!” Ianto let his interested gaze trail over Jack's form, all of the awkwardness of the moment before brushed aside. He couldn't really pinpoint the exact moment Jack's body had stopped glowing, must have happened while the Captain was in the shower, but he was glad. As fascinating as it was, it was kinda unnerving as well.

“Pity,” Jack sighed in mock regret. 

“Thank God,” Ianto corrected, raising a pointed eyebrow. 

Jack pouted, then laughed boyishly. “I thought it kinda dashing .”

Rolling his eyes in fond amusement, Ianto grabbed Jack's arm to steer him out of the flat, the mug of coffee forgotten on the bedside table.

 

They took Ianto's car to the coordinates Owen had given Ianto with Jack driving courtesy of the car's owner (Jack practically vibrated with expectant joy to soon get behind the wheel of the SUV again which was why Ianto had amusedly given in to Jack's pleading to please let him drive).

Naturally, with Jack behind the wheel, they reached their destination in record time. The SUV was already there when Jack parked the car on the parking area of a furniture store where a suspicious creature had supposedly been sighted.

“Ianto...” 

Questioningly, Ianto looked at Jack, his hand poised over the buckle of the seat belt.

“About Gwen.”

The younger man sighed heavily, and slumped back into his seat.

“What she accused you of was unforgivable. I'll take care of it.”

“How? She won't see reason.”

“I consider giving her Retcon to erase this specific afternoon. Otherwise, the morale of the team will get poisoned in the long run. I can give you some, too. Owen and Tosh as well.”

Ianto pondered Jack's offer for a long time, but in the end, he shook his head. “No,” he said. “Thank you, but no. I don't think it will help to suppress this problem through Retcon.”

Now it was Jack's turn to sigh. “Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I shouldn't even have suggested it.”

“It's okay. You meant well.”

“She did, too. But it's the way _how_ she got her opinion across that's intolerable. I'll talk to her. Seeing her with unbiased eyes has helped to let me realise that I have to stop letting her get away with everything. I want to do it right this time.”

Ianto snorted. “Then don't forget to tell her she shall get over her crush on you. She's got Rhys, but  _you_ 're mine.” The last thing was something that just had slipped out unbidden, but Ianto didn't apologise. He simply bit the inside of his cheek, and stared straight ahead of him stolidly. That way, he didn't see Jack reaching out to him. He jumped when Jack's hand suddenly cupped his cheek, gently turning his head to face the Captain. Defiantly, he met Jack's soft gaze. “I am,” the other man simply whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Although it will be hard to get her off this track. We're talking about  _me_ here.”

Ianto smiled. “Idiot.” He leaned over, and kissed Jack.

A loud honking drove them apart in surprise, and they saw Owen standing next to the SUV, hammering his fist on the horn through the open car door, and throwing them an exasperated, impatient glare.

“Time to work,” Jack sighed.

“Yes, Sir.”

Jack answered Ianto's cheeky smile with a suggestive one of his own before turning slightly serious once more.

“Maybe... tonight we could go to that ice rink once more if you'd like.”

Ianto had to swallow heavily, a lump constricting his throat, and his heart hammered madly with joy.

“Yes, Sir,” he whispered with a smile. 

**End**

 

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas. I hope you had fun reading.


End file.
